The Final Chance
by Muddytuft
Summary: After Tigerstar's very spirit is killed, a mysterious cat gives him one more chance to live. He needs to set things right-or bring StarClan's wrath down on all the Clans...
1. Allegiances

ShadowClan

Leader:

Rowanstar-ginger tom

Deputy:

Crowfrost-black-and-white tom

Medicine Cat:

Littlecloud-very small tabby tom

Warriors:

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Scorchfur-dark gray tom

Snowbird-pure white she-cat

Ferretclaw-black-and-gray tom

Pinenose-black she-cat

Stoatfur-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Grassfoot-pale brown tabby she-cat

Spikepelt-dark brown tom

Turtlestream-ginger and white she-cat

Cougarfang-sandy gray she-cat

Wolfpelt-pale gray she-cat

Queens:

Dawnpelt-cream-furred she-cat, mother of Crowfrost's kits (Stormkit, Tigerkit, Foxkit, and Sootkit)

Elders:

Ratscar-brown tom with long scar across his back

Oakfur-small brown tom

Smokefoot-black tom

ThunderClan

Leader:

Bramblestar-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy:

Ivypool-silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Apprentice, Sorrelpaw (golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes)

Medicine Cat:

Jayfeather-gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Warriors:

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Hollypaw (black she-cat with green eyes)

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie-striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose-cream-colored tom

Apprentice, Fernpaw (gray tabby she-cat)

Mousewhisker-gray-and-white tom

Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Rosepetal-dark cream she-cat

Poppyfrost-tortoiseshell she-cat

Briarlight-dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Bumblestripe-very pale gray tom with black stripes

Cherryfall-ginger she-cat

Molewhisker-brown-and-cream tom

Lilyheart-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Stormcloud-gray tabby tom, formerly a kittypet

Ambershine-pale ginger she-cat

Dewspots-gray and white tom

Snowtooth-white, fluffy tom

Queens:

Daisy-cream long-furred cat from the horseplace, expecting Spiderleg's kits

Elders:

Purdy-plump tabby former loner with a gray muzzle

Graystripe-long-haired gray tom

Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom

WindClan

Leader:

Harestar-brown-and-white tom

Deputy:

Gorsetail-very pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat:

Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

Apprentice, Brokenpaw (brown tom with an awkwardly bent leg)

Warriors:

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Apprentice, Goldenpaw (golden tabby tom)

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes

Furzepelt-gray-and-white she-cat

Crouchfoot-ginger tom

Featherstripe-gray tabby she-cat

Slightleap-black tom with a flash of white on his chest

Queens:

Larkwing-pale brown tabby she-cat, mother of Breezepelt's kits (Darkkit-black tom, and Quailkit-gray she-cat)

Elders:

Whiskernose-light brown tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat

RiverClan

Leader:

Reedstar-black tom

Deputy:

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Longpaw (tortoiseshell she-cat with a very long tail)

Medicine Cat:

Mothwing-dappled golden she-cat

Willowshine-gray tabby she-cat

Warriors:

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Leafpaw (black tom with green eyes)

Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Petalfur-gray-and-white she-cat

Shimmerpelt-silver she-cat

Lakeheart-gray tabby she-cat

Heronwing-dark gray-and-black tom

Lizardtail-light brown tom

Perchripple-gray-and-white she-cat

Elders:

Pouncetail-ginger-and-white tom

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom

Rushtail-light brown tabby tom


	2. Chapter One

**Seeing as most of after the battle stories for dead cats will most likely be for Spottedleaf or Hollylead, I figured I'd make one for Tigerstar.**

After the Battle Ch. 1

_Tigerstar's last vision was of the kittypet filth collapsing, wounded and dying._ He'd achieved his goal.

But he had paid the highest price for it.

All he had ever known faded into black as the tabby tom's spirit bared his fangs on a defiant snarl that the Clans would never see. It felt strangely as if he had never died the second time, as if the kittypet is former Clan had called a leader hadn't given him such a humiliating defeat. Defeated by a kittypet...his pride hurt more than his wounds. He heaved himself to his paws and stared around, though all he could see was pitch darkness.

"Tigerstar...Tigerstar."

ShadowClan's former leader whipped around and hissed at the figure gazing at him with soulless blue eyes. The white she-cat slowly padded towards him like a mysterious ghost. There was a glowing white aura around her, so she may as well have been a ghost.

"Get out of here, stupid! I have to find my way out of here."

The she-cat paid no attention to the insult. "My name is Snowspirit, and I regret to inform you that you cannot leave without help." Tigerstar snorted. "I am the Keeper of Lost Souls."

"Couldn't have asked for a cheesier name," the tabby tom sneered.

"I am here to give cats whose very spirits have been killed-cats like you-a second chance," Snowspirit sounded as if she were barely containing her temper. "Cats you might know would include Graystripe, Russetfur, and Whitestorm," she meowed, voice clear and echoing off some invisible cave wall.

"Seeing all of the...wrong you have done in your past life, this will be your only chance. Set things right, or lose it all," she warned as the pale white light faded and Tigerstar was plunged into a new life. His whole life flashed before him and just as Scourge was about to tear him open, he was thrust somewhere wet and cold. A rough tongue licked Tigerstar warm and he mewed loudly in rage. Names like "Dawnpelt" and "Crowfrost" and "Littlecloud" were thrown around. There was a final screech of pain, then a peaceful, comforting silence. Tigerstar knew no more of his past life.

* * *

><p><em>"What do you want to call him, love?"<em>

"Tigerkit, after Tigerheart." There was a sad pause. "I miss him. Especially after..after Flametail..."

"It's alright, we all do. What about the others?"

"I think Sootkit for the little black tom. Do you want to name the two she-kits?"

"Of course I will. How about Stormkit for the gray kit, and Foxkit for the ginger one?"

"They sound perfect. Tigerkit, Sootkit, Stormkit, and Foxkit." His mother, the one he assumed to be Dawnpelt, sighed. "I love you."

His father, the one he thought was Crowfrost, purred loudly. "They're beautiful. I'll leave you to rest, love."

Tigerkit raised his tiny head and mewled in protest when Crowfrost gave his pelt a rough lick and squirmed closer to Dawnpelt and Stormkit.

"Little warriors already," Crowfrost laughed.


	3. Chapter Two

**Thank you to those who reviewed! I'm sorry, this will be a bit of a long chapter, but I promise it will get more exciting!**

* * *

><p><em>"Mo-om, stop licking me<em>! I'm clean enough!" Tigerkit suppressed a mrrow of amusement as Foxkit, his independent and free-spirited sister, complained loudly as Dawnpelt groomed her daughter. Sootkit and Stormkit, both newly cleaned, were also trying to contain themselves.

"Don't be laughing, Tigerkit, you're next." Dawnpelt snatched her son up by the scruff. His feeble attempt at running away was no match for the faster and stronger queen. He fluffed up his thick tabby pelt in defiance while the cream-furred queen struggled to groom the grumpy kit. He marched away when she was done, tail and head held high in defiance.

"Not so funny now, is it?" Foxkit sneered, purring loudly in amusement. Tigerkit just kicked dust at her.

"Tigerkit, don't do that to your sister. You have to look nice for your apprentice ceremony!" Dawnpelt huffed, hurriedly trying to get the dirt out of Foxkit's wild red fur. Before she could finish, Rowanstar bounded onto the Tallbranch.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan meeting!"

The cats of ShadowClan streamed out of their dens and abandoned half-eaten prey. Tigerkit saw Ratscar easing Oakfur, ShadowClan's crankiest elder, out of the den while the old tom complained loudly about being woken up. Dawnpelt's kits all purred in unison. Oakfur was always asleep.

"Today, we have gathered to preform one of my favorite duties," Rowanstar meowed, deep voice ringing throughout the camp. Dawnpelt and Crowfrost looked about ready to burst with pride.

"Stormkit, step forward." The gray she-kit nearly bounced forward, yellow eyes wide with excitement.

"She's bouncier than than a terrified squirrel!" Foxkit remarked, swishing her bushy tail nervously across the ground. Tigerkit purred quietly until Crowfrost cuffed the two kits gently and discreetly on the ears.

"Respect Stormkit and the Clan leader," the skinny tom reminded sternly, yellow gaze sharp.

"From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Scorchfur, you have proven to be a noble and strong cat, and I trust you to mentor Stormpaw well." Stormpaw touched noses with her mentor and padded back with him into the crowd.

"Scorchfur? Good StarClan, he's tough!" Foxkit whispered in Tigerkit's ear, probably referring to the time they'd used part of his nest for a mossball. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty.

"Tigerkit, step forward." With a glance at Foxkit and Sootkit, Tigerkit padded forward with a little more dignity than his sister.

"Tigerkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw." Tigerpaw gave a small bounce of pure excitement at his new name. "Spikepelt, though you are young, I believe you will be a fine mentor for Tigerpaw." Tigerpaw touched noses with the dark tabby tom. There was a warm gleam in his mentor's green eyes, and Tigerpaw gave a cheerful grin as he took his place next to the older cat.

The procedure was repeated with Foxpaw, who was given Pinenose as a mentor. And then it was finally Sootkit's turn.

"Sootkit, Littlecloud and I respect your wishes to train as a medicine cat." Tigerpaw's jaw fell open. Sootkit had never told his littermates! But the sleek black tom took no notice of his siblings' shock and strode gracefully forward.

"Cats of ShadowClan, as you all know, I have grown old and it has been quite some time since I last had an apprentice..." Littlecloud trailed off, staring sadly at his paws. A brief hush fell across the Clan as they remembered Flametail. Tigerpaw had never met his uncle, but he'd heard many great things. Though the apprentice was never told how poor Flametail died...

Littlecloud coughed. "Sootkit has chosen to become my apprentice and succeed me after I join the ranks of StarClan. I am pleased to announce that your next medicine cat will be Sootpaw."

"Stormpaw! Tigerpaw! Foxpaw! Sootpaw!"

The dark brown tabby's chest swelled with pride as the Clan chanted his name warmly. Foxpaw, Stormpaw, and Tigerpaw had gone to congratulate Sootpaw, but the black tom had already disappeared into the medicine den. Dawnpelt strode gracefully to her children and nuzzled them all warmly. Spikepelt, Scorchfur, and Pinenose purred in amusement as the three apprentices wriggled away from their mother.

"Good thing you're all gone, too. Now I can finally return to my warrior duties!" she purred, flicking Foxpaw's ears with her fluffy cream tail. Foxpaw's tall ears twitched with quiet indignation as their mother purred and loped away towards the warriors den. Tigerpaw dug his long claws into the ground, burying himself deep in thought of what it would be like to be a warrior. He started as Spikepelt's tail brushing along his back thrust him into reality.

"Go get some sleep, we'll begin your training at dusk." The young tom spoke with so much authority for someone who was only recently a 'paw that the smaller dark tabby half wanted to flash back a stinging retort. Though...that wouldn't be wise if he wished to start off training with a tour of the territory.

"By the way, there's a nest waiting for you. I think Foxpaw already had her pick though." Any ill feelings he had about Spikepelt vanished as he nodded his head gratefully and bounded into the shallow dip.

Sinking comfortably into the nest, the new apprentice pressed up against his sister.

"Yow! That's my tail!"

"Whatever, Tiger_kit_."

"Shut up, Storm_kit_." Nevertheless, the small dark gray she-cat curled up next to her brother, purring softly. It was strange not having Sootpaw and Dawnpelt with them. Now, they would be in the medicine and warrior den, respectively. Wistfully thinking of the two, the dark tabby apprentice closed his eyes and descending into blackness.

* * *

><p><em>A muscular ginger tom strode towards the young ShadowClan cat, green eyes blazing with fury.<em> He looked a bit like Foxpaw, though his pelt was flame-colored and his eyes were emerald green instead of a piercing yellow. Tigerpaw felt like he was shrinking under the fire-cat's scorching gaze. Two cats hurtled toward him as he unsheathed his claws. One was a pure white she-cat with blue eyes, the other a dark gray cat with orange eyes and a flat face, also a she-cat.

"Firestar! What are you doing, you mouse-brain?" The gray cat's voice was raspy but trembling with a calm rage that the small apprentice feared.

The ginger cat whirled on the two, fangs bared. "You!" he hissed. "Why did you bring...bring this back?" Firestar returned his attention to Tigerpaw, and he shrank even more. "He was the reason I died! But more importantly, he was the reason Redtail, Spottedleaf, and Whitestorm were killed! And the reason so many more died, and he caused BloodClan to come to the forest! Don't you even care about that, Snowspirit?"

"Firestar, this is so unlike you. What about Bramblestar? Do you blame him for what his father did?" _Bramblestar? Isn't he the ThunderClan leader? What does he have to do with this?_ "Why should you blame Tigerpaw? He's barely more than a kit!" Snowspirit tried to reason, and the gray cat also feebly attempted to argue against Firestar's rage, but their pleas went in one ear and came out the other. Firestar raised a paw and brought it down hard. Before he could lay so much as a claw on the dark tabby, he felt some invisible force roughly shake his shoulder.

Sitting straight up, amber eyes wide and sides heaving, he was faced with another emerald green gaze gleaming in the darkness. Heart pounding, he nearly scrambled away before realizing it was just Spikepelt, coming to fetch him for the first training session.


End file.
